Hinge



June 21, 1932. N WELLS 1,863,889

HINGE Filed Nov. 10. 1950 Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NATHANIEL C. WELLS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNQR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY HEEMSOTH, OF TOLEDO, OHIO HINGE Application filed N ovember 10, 1930. Serial No. 494,530.-

This invention relates to an improved hinge which is especially adapted for hard usage where accurate fitting and silent operation are important considerations.

In the operation of automobiles, for example, a great many annoying rattles and squeaks have been caused by defective hinges and the correction of such defects has usually been a tedious and expensive task, usually involving the removal of the old hinges and the substitution of new ones or the reaming of the hinge bearings and the insertion of bushings or over size pins therein. The general object of the present invention is to obviate these difliculties by providing a hinge having cooperating bearing surfaces'which may be easily adjusted to take up play, without removing the hinge. The above and other objects and advantages will be particularly explained in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a hinge constructed according to the invention, with the leaves separated and the knuckles shown in section.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a protective cap used in connection with the invention.

As illustrated in the drawing, the hinge comprises two leaves 4 and 5, one of which is adapted to be secured to the door and the other to the jamb. One of the leaves, as 4, is formed with spaced aligned knuckles 6 and 7 which are adapted to receive between them a knuckle 8 formed on the other leaf 5. The knuckle 8 is formed with a bore having oppositely tapered conical bearing surfaces 9. Pins 10 have threaded connections with the knuckles 6 and 7 and are formed at their inner ends with conical surfaces 11 adapted to engage the surfaces 9 of the central knuckle 8. Each of the pins 10 has a head 11 beneath which are placed a plurality of shims 13 and a lock washer 14. A protective cap 15 is also preferably provided to fit over the knuckle 6 and the associated shims and lock washer. The top 16 of this cap is disposed immediately beneath the head 12 of the pin and is provided with a central opening 17 adapted to receive the shank of the pin. One side of the cap 15 is formed with a slot 18 to receive the hinge leaf, the'slot being made deep enough to permit the cap to be'drawn down after shims have been removed for the purpose of adjustment. The knuckle 8 may also be provided with an oil hole 19 for lubricatingthe bearing surfaces 9 and 11. V

In forming the surfaces 9 and 11, provision is 'made for sufficient space between the inner ends of the pins 10 to take up any play which may exist between the bearing surfaces of the knuckles, the basis of the conical surfaces 11 being initially within the bores in the knuckles 6 and 7.

When the hinge is first mounted a suificient number of shims are placed beneath the head of each pin 10, so that whenthe pins are screwed tightly into the knuckles 6 and 7, the bearing surfaces 9 and 11 will fit closely, without any noticeable play and without excessive friction. As the bearing surfaces become worn, the pins 10 may be taken out, one at a time, without taking ofi the door or the hinge, and one or more of the shims 13 may be removed, as may be necessary, to secure the correct adjustment. The invention is adapted to be applied to any of the hinges now manufactured, without any material change in the size, shape or location of the hinges or in the manner in'which the door is hung. The invention entails practically no additional expense in the manufacture of the hinge and the labor and expense heretofore necessary in adjusting the hinges after they become worn is practically eliminated.

While I have shown and described in detail the preferred form of the invention it is apparent that the same may be modified in various respects without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

. What I claim is:

1. In a hinge, the combination of two leaves, one formed with a central knuckle, the other formed with two spaced aligned knuckles adapted to receive said central knuckle between them, said central knuckle having inwardly tapered conical bearing surfaces and a central bore connecting them, headed pins having threaded connections with the spaced aligned knuckles and having integral tapered lateral surfaces engageable with said bearing surfaces, means adjustably limiting the inward setting of said pins, and a protective cap covering the uppermost knuckle and having a slot in its side wall for receiving the leaf of the hinge, the top of the cap being beneath and immediately adjacent the head of the upper pin and formed with an opening to receive the shank of the pin.

2. In a hinge, the combination of two leaves, one formed with a central knuckle,

the other formed with two spaced aligned knuckles adapted to receive said central knuckle between them, said central knuckle having inwardly tapered conical bearing surfaces and a central bore connecting them, headed pins having threaded connections with the spaced aligned knuckles and having integral tapered lateral surfaces engageable with said bearing surfaces, selectively removable shims beneath the heads of the pins adjustably V limiting the inward setting of said pins, and a protective cap covering the uppermost knuckle and the shims associated therewith, said cap having a slot in its side Wall for receiving the leaf of the spring, the top of the cap being beneath and immediately adjacent the head of the upper pin and formed with an opening to receive the shank of the pin.

signed my name to this'specification. V

NATHANIEL C. WELLS In testimony whereof I have hereunto 

